The Little Round Bun
A Bedtime Tale of Peace and Harmony
For children ages 3–7. Approximate listening time: 7 minutes.
Transcript
The Little Round Bun: A Bedtime Tale of Peace and Harmony Once upon a time, as the sun was setting and the sky turned a soft shade of purple, there lived a kind old man and a sweet old woman. The house was quiet, and the evening was very peaceful. The old man sat in his rocking chair, smiled tiredly, and said, "Wife, the evening is so cozy. Could you bake me a little round bun for a bedtime treat? " "I would love to, my dear," sighed the old woman gently, "but we have no flour left in the kitchen. " "Oh, don't worry," the old man whispered. "Just scrape the flour-box, sweep the flour-bin, and I am sure you will find just enough for one little bun. " So the old woman quietly scraped the flour-box and gently swept the flour-bin. She gathered a small handful of soft, white flour. She mixed the dough slowly with sweet cream, rolled it into a smooth little round bun, and baked it until it was golden and warm. Then, she placed it on the windowsill to cool under the light of the silvery moon. The little round bun looked up at the stars. "It is such a beautiful night," it thought. "I want to see the sleepy forest. " Slowly and gently, it rolled off the sill down to a soft cushion, from the cushion to the floor, and quietly slipped out the door. It rolled down the moonlit path, deeper and deeper into the quiet woods. As the bun was rolling along the path, it met a Hare. The Hare was rubbing his heavy eyes and yawning. "Little round bun... little round bun," mumbled the Hare, "I am so hungry this evening. I think I will eat you up. " "Oh, please don't eat me, sleepy Hare," the bun said softly. "The night is for resting, not for hunting. Let me sing you a lullaby instead. " And it sang in a gentle, melodic voice: I was softly scraped, and gently swept, Mixed with cream while the house slept. Baked with love, golden and bright, Rolling slowly through the night. I wished the old man a peaceful sleep, I wished the old woman a slumber deep, And now I sing this song for you, Close your eyes, and dream sweetly too... Before the song was even finished, the Hare closed his eyes, curled up under a bush, and fell fast asleep. The bun smiled and rolled quietly away. The little round bun rolled further under the starry sky, and soon it met a Wolf. The Wolf looked very tired, dragging his paws along the soft moss. "Little round bun," the Wolf sighed heavily. "I have been walking all day, and I am so hungry. I am going to eat you up. " "Don't eat me, tired Wolf," said the bun warmly. "Your paws are heavy and your eyes are closing. Let me sing you to sleep. " And the bun sang its gentle lullaby: I was softly scraped, and gently swept, Mixed with cream while the house slept... I wished the old man a peaceful sleep, I wished the old woman a slumber deep, I sang the sleepy Hare to rest, And now for you, the dreams are best... The Wolf let out a long, happy sigh. He lay his head on his paws and began to snore softly. The bun rolled gently away into the shadows. Soon, the bun met a big, clumsy Bear. The Bear was leaning against a tree, nodding off. "Little... round... bun," the Bear rumbled softly. "My tummy is rumbling. I will eat you up before I go to sleep. " "Rest your heavy head, gentle Bear," whispered the bun. "There is no need to hunt in the dark. Listen to the music of the night. " And the bun sang once more: I was softly scraped, and gently swept, Mixed with cream while the house slept... I sang the Hare and the Wolf to rest, Now close your eyes in your forest nest... The Bear gave a big, long yawn, slid down the tree trunk, and fell into a deep, cozy slumber. The little round bun rolled on, feeling very happy. Suddenly, it met a Fox. The Fox had a bushy tail, but even she looked very exhausted. "Hello, little round bun," the Fox said with a slow, sleepy smile. "How sweet and warm you look in the moonlight. Come closer... " "I will sing for you, Fox," the bun said gently. "A special goodnight song. " "Oh, my ears are so tired," the Fox whispered slyly, though her eyes were barely open. "Hop onto my soft nose, little bun, and sing it right into my ear... " The brave little bun hopped onto the Fox's warm nose. But instead of letting the Fox bite, the bun began to hum the softest, sweetest, most magical lullaby the forest had ever heard. Baked with love, golden and bright, Rolling slowly through the night... Sleep, clever Fox, the day is done, Rest your head till the morning sun... The Fox’s eyes fluttered. Her nose dropped to her paws. And in seconds, she was deeply asleep, dreaming happy dreams. The little round bun gently hopped off the Fox’s nose. It looked around the quiet, sleeping forest. The air was getting a little chilly. "Everyone is asleep," the bun thought. "And I am feeling quite sleepy, too. It is time to go home. " So, the little round bun safely rolled all the way back up the moonlit path, right back to the cozy house. The old man and the old woman were fast asleep. The bun hopped into a soft basket lined with a warm napkin, closed its eyes, and slept peacefully until the morning. And they all slept happily, and safely, through the night. The end.